


quietly, violently

by sam1abc



Category: Gintama
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Portfolio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 12:17:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15707076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sam1abc/pseuds/sam1abc
Summary: Hijikata has a revelation.





	quietly, violently

“Hey.”  
Toushirou looks up as the side of an ice cold drink is pressed against his face.  
He reflexively recoils and scowls, irritated.  
“Isn’t the doctor limiting you to one a day?”  
As always, it’s Gintoki’s smug face looming over him.  
He plunks himself beside Toushirou with a grunt, with an ever-present parfait in one hand and balances his drink on his other.  
“Sweet of you to remember, but this is my first. Scout’s honor.”  
Toushirou sneers and flicks Gintoki’s forehead.  
“Haven’t you got anywhere better to eat your parfait? Somewhere that isn’t a busy street in the middle of nowhere?”  
Gintoki smiles, indulgent and relaxed.  
“A busy street in the middle of nowhere,” he drawls. “Next to you.”  
Hijikata leans away from him, discomfited. Gintoki settles besides him and places his soda on a nearby crate. It’s been a while since their last conversation, with his recent assignment. He glances at Gintoki and shifts his grip on his sword. Gintoki’s dragging his spoon through his parfait contemplatively. When he glances up, Hijikata looks away quickly. Not quickly enough, if Gintoki’s raised eyebrows are anything to go by.  
“What, miss me while you were gone, Toshi?”  
Gintoki’s grin grows wide. He leans in to Toushirou’s face, so close their noses touch.  
Toshirou leans back in, not about to back down.  
(He can feel Sakata’s breath on his lashes.)  
He swallows carefully.  
“Don’t make me laugh, I--”  
The telltale sounds of a street fight jerk them out of their conversation.  
Damn it. Hijikata jumps to his feet, putting distance between Gintoki and him.  
Gintoki mutters under his breath, mumbling something about how it was just getting good.  
Ignoring him, Toshirou runs towards the shouting, swords at the ready, cursing under his breath.  
Gintama follows him a little ways behind at a leisurely pace, whistling a tune.  
Incensed, Toshirou turns over his shoulder to yell at him.  
“There’s a fight going on, moron! Stop fucking around and hurry up.”  
And then an explosion sounds in front of them, and the street is suddenly covered in crumbling stone and mortar.  
“Shit!”  
Toushirou speeds up his run, gritting his teeth.  
“Gintama, if you keep being an asshole, I’m gonna go over there and tear you a goddamn new one if you don’t speed up!”  
Gintoki smiles, and runs full force towards the wreckage.  
-

It’s over in minutes, but it’s a close one.  
Toshirou slashes at his attacker with a grunt. They yell when the blade drives into their shoulder, dropping their tonfas to clutch at their bleeding shoulder. Toshirou uses the opportunity to aim a roundhouse kick at their head. It connects, and the guy falls to the ground with a thud, knocked out cold.  
At his back Gintoki hisses as he grabs the second guy by the shoulders and slams him to the ground. Toshirou is standing by with the handcuffs, but there’s a flash of a blade that shoots up the criminal’s sleeve and in one slash, Toshirou falls like a puppet with cut strings.  
With a yell, Gintoki violently disarms the man and knocks him out for good measure.  
He bounds over to where Toshirou is clutching his leg, worry on his usually stoic face.  
“Are you okay, Toshi?”  
He holds out a hand, and Toshirou gives him a pained smile.  
“Yeah. Wasn’t even a scratch.”  
He takes Gintoki’s hand and pulls himself up with a grunt.  
He leans heavily on his shoulder, burying his face in Gintoki’s shoulder.  
“Let’s go home.”

-

When Hijikata stumbles at the foot of the stairs, his wounds smart, but a brief check reveals that they don’t seem to have reopened. He ignores Gintoki’s mildly concerned expression, but takes his offered hand. 

Hijikata steps aside, letting Gintoki prop the door to the roof open. He’d resent it under any other circumstances, Gintoki’s concerned expression kills whatever irritated observation he was about to make in his throat. Hijikata eases himself down carefully. It’s rained the day before but the patch of roof he’s on is dry and warmed by the sun. Gintoki joins him after he’s finished propping the door open with a nearby tile. The silence is comfortable enough, after. When he looks over at him, Gintoki seems calm enough, but when Hijikata rolls over carefully, his face is drawn and pale. 

“Thanks. For, ah, earlier.” 

Gintoki glances up at the sound of his voice and shrugs. 

“You would have done the same for me.”

It’s true, but it’s the principle of the thing. Hijikata glances down at his hands. His fingers are laced together nervously, so tight the skin of his knuckles are turning white. He unlaces them slowly and prods Gintoki in the side until he rolls over. Gintoki snags the back of his collar and yanks him down too. He cheerfully ignores Hijikata’s indignant yelp. The city’s clamor never truly fades, but it seems muted somehow, in the presence of Gintoki.  
It brings a smile to his face.  
Hijikata touches his forehead to Gintoki’s. Their noses brush.  
“You know, everything goes silent when I’m with you.”  
He rests his head against Gintoki’s neck, strangely content.  
When he shuts his eyes, Gintoki shifts toward him. Hijikata can feel Gintoki’s grin.  
“What the hell are you talking about, Toki?”  
As the sounds and warmth of the city fade over him, Hijikata imagines he feels the warmth of Gintoki’s hand stroking through his hair.

**Author's Note:**

> Commissioned.


End file.
